A fuse holder includes a fuse carrier or fuse-carrier unit mounted within a receptacle or receptacle unit. In use, a fuse carrier bears an elongated fuse which has a pair of terminals. The fuse carrier releasably disposes the terminals for each fuse in tight electrical engagement with companion contacts of the receptacle.
The fuse carrier commonly comprises a body of molded insulation and the receptacle has a base and a complementary cover, both of molded insulation. In use, fuse receptacles are fixed in place, as on a panel. The fuse carrier is pivotally joined to the receptacle.
The pivotally joined carrier incorporates manual force-multiplied means for driving the fuse-carrier outward for releasing the tight grip of the contacts disposed within the receptacle on the fuse terminals. More specifically, the force-multiplying means in the described fuse holder is a lever pivotally disposed at one end of the fuse holder and acting against the other end of the fuse holder. The fuse terminals are forcibly released generally concurrently from the receptacle contacts. Once the carrier is pivoted outward, the fuse may be removed and replaced. Typically, each fuse holder contains one fuse, being a single-pole device for interrupting a single current path. A common form of circuit connection to the receptacle contacts of a fuse holder is by wires that enter the receptacle, joined to the receptacle contacts by screw-actuated wire fasteners.
Presently, different current rated fuses have different diameters and lengths necessitating varying fuse carriers, thus requiring variably configured fuse carriers for each different fuse. In addition, the variably configured fuse carriers necessitate variably configured housings for each different fuse carrier. Thus, the costs associated with tooling, manufacture and inventory of different housings for different fuse carriers is increased.
The above discussed and other drawbacks and deficiencies are overcome or alleviated by a fuse holder comprising: a fuse having a pair of fuse terminals; a housing configured to accept any fuse carrier selected from a plurality of fuse carriers, the housing defining an enclosed region adapted to accept the fuse; a pair of contacts within the housing at opposite ends of the enclosed region and configured to engage the fuse terminals; and a fuse carrier selected from the plurality of fuse carriers, the fuse carrier configured to support the fuse and position the fuse terminals in the enclosed region in electrical engagement with the pair of contacts.
In an alternative embodiment, a method of assembling a fuse holder comprising a housing having a cavity therein for supporting a fuse carrier is also disclosed, the method comprising: selecting a fuse carrier from a plurality of fuse carriers, each fuse carrier of the plurality of fuse carriers configured to support a different fuse size, the selecting being based on a desired current rating for a fuse to be fitted within the housing; configuring the fuse carrier to accept and position the fuse for engagement with contacts disposed within the housing; configuring the cavity to accept the plurality of fuse carriers; and installing the selected fuse carrier in the housing.